Morro Castle Robusto

Brand of Cigar: Morro Castle

Name of Cigar: Robusto

Vitola: 4.7X52

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras

Body: Mild-Medium

Time of Smoke: 0:50

MSRP Price: $4.00-5.75

Purchase Price: $2.00

Place of Purchase: Cigarbid.com

Intro:

I had been wanting to try this stick for some time now. Every time I get on Cigarbid I see these sticks, but always end up passing on them for some more well-known cigars. Finally, I bought a 5-pack of them the other day along with a host of other cigars. I ran into a bit of a bind because it was 6:00 PM and I had to get ready for the Monday night football games at 7:00 PM, so I decided to try one of these little guys so I could finish in time for kickoff. I took the Robusto out on the porch with a glass of Glen Ellen Pinot Grigio to get a celebratory smoke in before the first Monday game of the year.

Appearance/Construction: (21/25)

The first thing I noticed about this stick was the Connecticut leaf. I have been smoking a lot of maduros lately, so this one looked especially light to me. These Morro's have a nice big gold band on them that go well with the Connecticut wrapper, but it was almost too big for a 4.7 inch Robusto. I'm sure it would be fine on the other vitolas. This particular stick had a couple of major veins running up the body, but overall it looked pretty smooth. The cigar had a nice bounce to it which was nice, but after cutting the cap off it, I did notice a couple of stems in the filler which had me a little worried. Stems and veins couldn't scare me away though, It was time to light this one up.

Smoking Experience: (22/25)

After taking my matches to the stick I immediately noticed the earthy and woody tones. After about an inch I started to get into some nutty flavors and noticed a nice tight white ash hanging on the end of my stick. I was very impressed with how even this one burned, for a $2.00 stick I was expecting to have to touch this one up, but to my surprise I never had to. The cigar also produced a decent milky smoke. The flavor profile wasn't great here, It was a pretty mild stick with mostly woody tones, but I can't complain for the price. The cigar did get a little hot with about an inch left, but I was delighted that I never experienced any harshness.

Value: (23/25)

For $2.00 a stick I'm more than satisfied. It definitely isn't a top-shelf cigar but you can surely do worse, especially in the $2.00 range. The Morro Castle burnt evenly, required no touch ups, produced a nice smoke, and didn't get harsh so I'm going to have to say I would smoke it again. I was disappointed with the flavors, but this is a perfect cigar for the occasional party or fishing trip.

Overall Rating: (22/25)

If you're looking for a great flavor profile, than this is definitely not the stick for you. However, if you are looking for a nice mild everyday smoke or are a novice smoker, you can';t do much better than this for the price. It's always nice to get a cheap stick that you don't have to touch up and it is a nice vitola for the beginner or novice smoker. Like I said earlier, this one isn't a Cristo or Padron, but you can do a lot worse. Hell, Swisher Sweets cost almost $2.00 nowadays and this surely is no Swisher.

Rating: 88

Padilla Miami Edicion Limitada 2009

Brand of Cigar: Padilla

Name of Cigar: Miami Edicion Limitada 2009 Robusto

Vitola: 5X50 Robusto

Wrapper:

Binder:

Filler:

Body: Medium

Time of Smoke: 1:00

MSRP Price: $9.00-$10.00

Purchase Price: 20 cigar sampler for $30.00

Place of Purchase: Cigarbid

Intro:

After a long day of classes and homework I decided it was neccescary to grab a stick and enjoy the incoming storm on my balcony. Since it is starting to feel like summer is ending, I threw on some Springsteen Bluegrass, grabbed a glass of Glen Ellen 2010 Pinott Grigio, and lit one up. I bought a Padilla sampler awhile back, and thought the Padilla Miami would be a good go-to for the night.

Appearance/Construction: 24/25

The first thing I noticed about the Miami Robusto was the smoothness of the wrapper. The Miami came in a flawless maduro wrapper. It had no major veins running up it and was had a nice oily finish. The cap blended right in with the rest of the wrapper and after cutting it off, I found no stems in the filler. The cigar also had a healthy bounce to it and showed no cracks in the wrapper. The 5X50 was also the perfect size for my nightcap smoke.

Smoking Experience: 26/30

During the pre-light, I took in some earthy scents with some touches of chocolate. After lighting this one up, I Immidiately started getting into some peppery spice. The spice continued throughout the cigar and I was a little disappointed that that was all I was getting through the first third of the cigar. I was however very impressed with the burn of this particular stick. $1.00-$2.00 cigars usually need some touch-ups, but that was not the case with this maduro. I waited until I had a nice two inch grey ash before finally tapping it off to avoid cigarbage. I think this one could be a good specimen for a long-ash contest; may have to challenge my fellow Cigarnivore the next time I'm home. In the second and final thirds the spice remained but I was able to decipher some hints of mocha that complemented the spice nicely. I would have liked to see a little more complexity in the flavor profile, but the mocha and pepper did work well. Throughout the smoke, the cigar pulled well and produced a solid heavy cloud with every puff. It did get hot towards the end, but even with an inch left, I never experienced any harshness.

Value: 18/20

For $2.00 a pop, the Padilla Miami definitely has great value, granted the sticks I bought came in a sampler with the cheaper Padilla Single Batches, so you can expect to pay more when purchasing the Miami's individually. The MSRP on these Miami's is a little steep in my opinion. For $9.00-$10.00 I feel that there are some cigars with better flavor profiles, but again you can't beat these cigars for $2.00. Anytime I can get a $2.00 stick that burns evenly and requires no touch-ups, I'm more than satisfied.

Overall Rating: 22/25

Overall the Padilla Miami Robusto was a pretty good smoke. It was a great looking stick and I was overly impressed with the quality of the burn. You really just don't see that from the usual $2.00 stick. The thickness of the smoke was good throughout the cigar, and the pull was also very consistent. The only thing I would have liked to see was a more complex flavor profile, but for this price I will definitely chalk this one up as a good purchase. Despite the less than complex flavor profile, this one gets a solid rating from me.

Rating: 90

Review: Felipe Gregorio Felipe II Salomon

Brand: Felipe Gregorio
Name: Felipe II Salomon
Vitola: 7 x 58 Salomon
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Time of Smoke: 1:45 min
MSRP: 2.50 to $4
Price: Box of 20 for $31
Purchased: http://www.cigarbid.com/

I decided to have a smoke during a game of Bocce Ball with a couple buddies, and this cigar just stuck out to me in my humidor. I bought a box of these, and they'd been sitting in my humidor for at least two weeks now, so i figured i might as well give this stick a try.

Appearance & Construction: 24/25

Right out of the gate, I'll tell you this cigar is huge! By huge, i mean it's the biggest cigar I've ever smoked for sure, and my first Salomon cigar as well. This stick was wrapped in a very sleek looking darker brown Sumatra wrapper, and was very oily to the touch. The cap was well constructed and matched the wrapper, while the foot of the cigar flowed nicely into a small "nipple" for an easy light. It's firm touch only enhanced my belief this cigar was very well put together.

Smoking Experience: 20/25

This cigar lit up with ease, but then gave me problems the rest of the way through. I could not detect any serious notes of flavor expect for an earthiness and some slight cocoa through the entire smoke. The first third burned completely unevenly, and needed touched up severely. After about the midway point, it burned wavy at best, and the draw improved to a small degree. I still didn't get much flavor from it, which was disappointing because from the look and construction i had high hopes. It's ash was a light gray coloration, and although I've heard the ashes on these sticks can get very, very large, this one only managed to go about an inch and a half.

Price: 18/20

At 31 dollars for a box of twenty, that is $1.55 per stick, so not bad at all. I got these on cigarbid, so i paid there shipping prices which in turn increased the per stick price some, but still near 2 dollars per smoke. Your getting your money's worth in terms of tobacco that's for sure.

Overall: 23/25

Overall, i was left disappointed with a great looking and wonderfully constructed Felipe Gregorio cigar. I never really found any dominate notes of flavor, nor did this stick burn well at all. I have nine more of these beasts, so eventually I'll be giving it another try. Hopefully with a little aging, it will improve.

Rating: 85

Review: Bahia Trinidad Pancho

Brand of Cigar: Bahia
Name of Cigar: Trinidad
Vitola: Robusto 5 1/2 x 52
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Time of Smoke: 1 hour
MSRP Price: $2-2.25 per stick $104 per box
Purchase Price: $40
Place of Purchase: Cigarbid.com

Intro:

I've had the Bahia Trinidad's before and for a cheap smoke i remembered them being fairly good, so i decided to buy a 5 pack on cigarbid and try them out again. So here i am, with my friend whose smoking a Felipe Gregorio, in our breezeway.

                                              

 Appearance/Construction: 22/25

I tore through the plastic on this stick like it was Christmas. I’ve been busy the last few days, so I’m going through stogie withdrawal. This cigar had been sitting in my humidor for about a month so it was firm, with just a little bounce to it. The wrapper was a light brown shade, with no veins or imperfections. The cap was solid, but left a little tobacco on the tip even with my best cutter. After the cut, I noticed that the cigar wasn’t very tightly wrapped, as evidence in this picture.

Smoking Experience: 22/30

Lighting this stogie up with excitement, I found the first third to be very peppery, with a small leathery note, as well as a woodsy note as well. It had a wavy burn through this third, but still pulled a good amount of smoke. Once it reached the second third, most of the notes had faded and left me with the peppery taste. At this point it was already started to leave the tip of my tongue hot each time I drew smoke. The ash was a dark grey, and ran about an inch long each time.



 Value: 18/20

The Bahia Trinidad Pancho isn’t a very expensive cigar, running at an MSRP of around 2 dollars. I got a bundle on Cigarbid for $40, or 2 dollars per stick. So I really didn’t buy them at much of a discount, but still cheap is cheap!

Overall Rating: 23/25

Overall, this cigar had no real flaws, but then again had nothing really going for it either. The construction and appearance, while it wasn’t bad at all, didn’t leave my wowed. Its taste wasn’t bad either, but yet again nothing special. If you want a cigar to smoke while you’re doing something, then I suggest this one. This cigar is one I’d be smoking while I’m fishing, or grilling out. Not one I’d plan my day around.

Rating: 85

Review: CAO Cameroon Toro

Brand: CAO
Name: Cameroon

Vitola: 5 ½ x 55 Toro

Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Cameroon

Filler: Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Body: Full

Time of Smoke: 1:20

MSRP: $6-7

Price: $3.06+

Purchased: Tobacco Village

Intro:

I bought this stick right before I came back to school, so it’s been just about a month. When I bought it, the stick was very soft, and after a month in my humidor I was able to get it back to a respectable feel. Now I’m very partial to two cigars, Montecristo and CAO, I absolutely love them. The Montecristo is my favorite brand, and the CAO brand was one of the first cigars that I started smoking. So I’ll be as unbiased as a can with this one! Unfortunately i don't have any pictures for this smoke, my camera died on me just as i was lighting this one up.

Appearance & Construction: 23/25

The Cameroon wrapper was as close to flawless as I’ve seen in a good while, the veins were no problem here, nor were there any raised spots at all. The cap was solid, with very little difference in color from the wrapper. The only flaw in this cigar was the fact that it was still a little too soft for my liking, and even with my best cutter it left me with some tobacco in my mouth. The initial draw was good, and i could tell this smoke was going to be a solid stick.

Smoking Experience: 27/30

This stick lit up without problems, and the smoke drew with ease from this stogie. The first third was very smoky which I was pleased with, and I got heavy notes of chocolate and undertones of some spices I couldn’t quite identify. The second third continued to smoke well, and left me with a chocolate note, as well as coffee, and those same undertones of spices. From the midway point on this stick had a lot strength and the notes were very prevalent. The burn throughout was very solid and the ash lasted well over an inch both times.

Price: 19/20

By far the best discount I’ve gotten in a while, and although this cigar store always lets me down in terms of condition, they have the dirt cheap prices. At 3 bucks, I’ll keep buying them all day! Even at MSRP they are worth it.

Overall: 23/25

Overall, this smoke is a keeper! I found no real flaws, except for the softness of the stogie, but with a little more aging that wouldn’t have been a problem. The flavors were strong, the smoke was thick, draw easy, and the burn very good. I have nothing bad to say about the Cameroon, and I would recommend this one to any cigarnivore!

Rating: 92

Review: Padilla Achilles Robusto

Brand of Cigar: Padilla
Name of Cigar: Achilles
Vitola: Robusto 5x54
Wrapper: Habano-Seed Corojo
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Time of Smoke: 1.15
MSRP Price: 5 pack at $20-22
Purchase Price: 5 pack at $11
Place of Purchase: Cigarbid.com

Intro:

I’ve had a 5 pack of these once before and remember them being a pretty solid smoke. So naturally I grabbed a second 5er off of cigarbid for 11 bucks. Now after about 3 or 4 weeks of seasoning in my humidor, this stick is going to accompany me out to the breezeway so we can get to know each other a bit more.

Appearance & Construction: 22/25



This cigar was tightly wrapped



This Robusto comes in at 5 x 54, with a medium brown Cuban-seed corojo wrapper. The wrapper itself looked very well aside from a good sized raised spot near the head of the stick. It also had a smaller raised vein towards the foot that I only noticed after I began smoking it. The wrapper itself was very oily, and had no other imperfections. The cigar cut well, which I wasn’t expecting seeing as how large of a ring size it had.

Smoking Experience: 26/30

I lit this puppy up with excitement, as it had been at least a week since I’d had a cigar, so my expectations were high! This cigar started off well, leaving me with a wood flavor, with a peppery after taste in my mouth. After about the half way point I was getting the same woodsy flavor, as well as a nutty note, and the peppery after taste shifted and became a little sweeter. The Achilles burned very evenly throughout the entire cigar, and it’s ash lasted at least an inch both times.

Price: 18/20

I got these beauties in a 5 pack for $11, so at $2.20 I can’t complain. The MSRP is around 20-25 bucks per 5 pack, so I did get a good deal on these at Cigarbid.com

Overall: 23/25

Overall, there is absolutely nothing bad I can say about this stick. The Padilla Achilles offered some very good flavor notes, burned well, and aside from the two raised veins was very well constructed. Unfortunately I only have 1 of these left out of my 5 pack, so once it gets some time in my humidor I will definitely be giving it another go! I recommend this one to any cigarnivore, especially if they enjoy a medium bodied smoke

Rating: 89

October Releases Part 3

La Aurora 107 Maduro

This feature from La Aurora will be donning a very beautiful Oscuro wrapper from Ecuador. The filler is a blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The tobacco used for the binder wasn’t disclosed, but this stick is said to have flavor notes of cedar, spices, and an earthiness. I wasn’t able to find the MSRP on the Maduro, but it’s sister cigar the 107 is around $8, so you can expect something similar.

Padilla 8 & 11

Padilla will be re-releasing it’s famous 8 & 11 line this October, with a very limited quantity of 200 boxes. Each box will come with 20 Robusto cigars. The 8 & 11’s will consist of wrapper, filler, and binder, all from Nicaragua. The first release of this line has an MSRP of $8.95, but there was no info on the price of the re-release. With Padilla being one of my favorites, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for these beauties.

Tatuaje Monster Series "The Wolfman"

Every Halloween Tatuaje unveils a new cigar for it’s Monster Series, and this year is no different. They’ve come out with “The Wolfman”, a 7 ½ x 52 box pressed torpedo. This gem will be given hair in the form of a shaggy foot, and will be released exclusively in only 666 boxes. In boxes of 13, and unmarked boxes of 10, you should expect to pay around $13 per stick. If I can get my hands on one of these, I will be aging it for years!!!